Bottle-carrier.



No. 697,325. Patented Apr. 8, |902.

0. F. CLARK.

-BTTLE CARRIER.

(Application led Aug. 26, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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OLIVER F. CLARK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BOTTLE-CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,325, dated April 8, 1902.

Application filed August 26, 1901. Serial No. 73,220. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern;

Beit known that I, OLIVER F. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Carriers, of which theffollowing is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forining part of this specification.

My invention relates to a collapsible frame adapted to be inserted within a box or case when opened out to form separate cells for hotties.

The object of 1ny invention is to produce such an article in a manner that it can be readily folded when not in use and when opened out and putinto shape for use will be tight and rigid.

A further object of my invention is to so construct the carrier as to afford a springbottom for the bottles to rest upon.

My invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, ,and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a perspective view of my improved carrier. Fig. II is a vertical section showing the carrierlocated within a box. Fig. IIIis an enlarged detail perspective View illustrating a modification.

Referring to the drawings, l represents a number' of strips arranged on edge, and 2 a number of cross-strips likewise arranged on edge and which bear against the strips l. These strips are made of any suitable material, preferably of thin sheets of wood. Arranged over the top row of Astrips lis a row of narrow strips 3, that run parallel with the strips 2 and which rest edge-on upon the upper edges ot' the strips I. Beneath the lower row of strips 2 is a setof strips 4, that run parallel with the strips l and which rest or bear against the lower series or row of strips 2.

5 represents wires secured at their upper ends to the strips 3 and which pass through slots G in the strips l and 2. These wires are passed down onalternate sides of the strips l and onalternate sides of the strips 2- that is to say, the wire indicated at A passes from one side to the other of the strips l, while the wire indicated at B passes on the other side of the strip, so that the wires coact to hold the strips from twisting or tilting over,

and thus a single wire can be used. Part of these wires may be attached to the lower strips 2, as shown at 7, Fig. I; but some of them are extended around and are attached to the strips 4, as shown, these wires passing` through slots 8 in the stri ps et. When the carrier is opened out and placed in positionv in a box or case, the strips 4 are folded iiatwise against the bottoms of the lower row of strips 2. This causes the Wires 5 to be drawn tightly, owing to the factthatthe portions O above the slots 8 act as levers to draw upon the wires when the strips 4 are folded tlatwise against the strips This causes allof the strips of the carrier to be drawn tightly together, forming a very rigid and firm carrier. When placed within a box, the strips 4 rest upon cleats 9 in the bottom of the box and the bottles in the cells of the carrier rest upon the strips 4, which form a spring-support for the bottles, thus avoiding'danger ot' breakage. By this construction of carrier a single instead of a double twisted wire may be used, thus adding to the neatness of the construction and also to the ease and readiness by which the carrier may be folded when not in use.

Inasmuch as the wires pass first through the slots in the strips l, thence through the slots in the strips 2, thence 'through the slots in the next row of strips I, and finally in the lower row of strips 2, they act to so tie these strips together as to prevent lateral or sidewise movement of both series of strips, so that should the case be turned on one side the weight of the bottles will not cause one set of the strips to be shifted with relation to the others.

It preferred, the edges of the strips may be notched, as shown in Fig. III, at their crossing-points or points ot' intersection; but ordinarily this is not necessary.

I claim as my inventionl. A bottle-carrier comprising a series of strips extending in one direction, a series of crossing strips, and wires running in the d'irection of the greater transverse dimension of the strips passing alternately from opposite sides through slots in the strips and drawing them together edgewise.

2. In a bottle-carrier, the combination of crossing strips formed with slots, and wires secured to the upper row of strips and thread- IOO ' strips, and a roW of bottom strips through which the wires are passed and to Which they are connected so that when the last-mentioned strips are turned horizontally they will acty to tighten said Wires,substantially as set forth. 4. In a bottle-carrier, the combination of vcrossing strips, and a serie-sof wires secured kto the upper row of strips and threaded through slots in the intermediate strips and which are connected to the lower row of strips in a manner whereby the lower row of strips act as levers to tighten the wires, substantially as set forth.

A bottle-carrier consisting of crossing strips and Wires connecting the strips together and so connected to the strips as to prevent lateral movement of the strips, substantially as set forth.

6. In a bottle-carrier, the combination of erossin g strips, Wires connecting the strips together, and a row of bottom strips to which said Wires are connected in such amanner as to permit said bottom strips to be turned Hat- Wise, when the carrier is opened to form a pottlom to the carrier, substantially as set orti.

OLIVER F. CLARK.

In presence of-y N. V. ALEXANDER, J. H. ZUMBALEN. 

